Angel Studios just introduced The Angel Promise, a new content policy for its films that will ban profanity, onscreen nudity and taking God's name in vain. The faith-friendly film company was founded by four brothers, Neal Harmon, Daniel Harmon, Jeffrey Harmon and Jordan Harmon, and their cousin Benton Crane. Their vision for movie stories and content is similar to that of the Kendrick brothers, Alex and Stephen, who established their first company, Sherwood Pictures, in Albany, Georgia, in 2002. Their brother Shannon later joined them in 2011, and their company is now called Kendrick Brothers Productions. The Kendrick brothers differ from the Harmons in that their company is much smaller and strictly faith-based, whereas Angel Studios is a publicly traded media and distribution company that grosses hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and produces some secular projects.

Jeffrey Harmon was recently interviewed by Fox News and said he feels Hollywood has veered away from producing films with positive family stories and has "kind of drifted more and more away from the values-based audience that they used to serve." He still believes Hollywood has the "best storytelling infrastructure in the world," but it falls short of consistently giving him and his family the content they need and want to see. With Angel being a top 10 studio, Jeffrey pointed out that their membership guild, which comprises over 3 million people, votes on what movies they feel are appropriate. Angel is, as Jeffrey stated, stepping out of the "Hollywood bubble."

As a Christian moviegoer, I view the Angel pledge as a bold step in the right direction. Given the subjects of many secular films today, we are far removed from the stern, self-imposed Hollywood moral guidelines, known as the Hays Code, that lasted from the 1930s to the late '60s. Take, for instance, the classic 1942 romantic drama "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, an American expatriate, and Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund. Rick and Ilsa were former lovers, and the plot intensifies when Ilsa asks Rick to help her and her husband, a Czech resistance leader, escape Casablanca, which was under the control of the pro-Nazi Vichy French government during World War II. Ilsa goes to Rick's apartment, and their feelings rekindle, but the camera then cuts away and returns to Rick standing by a window and Ilsa sitting on the couch. Viewers were left to imagine whether anything happened between Rick and Ilsa, but because of the Hays Code, the film was forbidden to show an adulterous relationship. This scene is definitely G-rated compared to what Hollywood currently puts out.

I am looking forward to watching Angel Studios' upcoming film "Drummer Boy," a musical that tells the stories of two brothers on opposite sides of the American Revolutionary War, as well as an enslaved Black woman fighting for freedom. I think the themes of faith and forgiveness will resonate, especially as we head toward the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I also plan to see the Kendrick brothers' October film "Flywheel: Ignition of the Soul," a remake of their 2003 debut movie about a used car salesman who has lost his way, cheats customers and fails as a husband and father. "Flywheel" is a modest story of forgiveness and restoration that many film critics felt was too simple, but I think simple stories have a special way of reaching people who can relate to them through personal experience or who just need a message of hope and inspiration to keep going.

I am drawn to these types of stories because I try to diligently guard my mind and heart with the content I take in. With films as well as music, I want to watch and listen to material that helps me, as Philippians 4:8 states, think on things that are "true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report." The Harmon and Kendrick brothers have found great success producing movies that align with this Godly principle, and I hope their example will inspire more young filmmakers to follow the same path.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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